Reborn into Nothing
by IsItIronic
Summary: Six people were killed and reborn in the world of Remnant. Finding themselves in a world unfamiliar to them, they each find their own path through life. Although, with the threat of the Grimm looming, that might not be so simple. Currently on hiatus.
1. Prologue

_It hurts_. As he lay on the ground, that thought was much louder than the rest. _Why is this happening? Who did this?_ No matter the thought, he couldn't hear it. _It hurts._ His vision was the first to go, followed by the rest of his senses. Reality was replaced by darkness. It was the end. The man realized this, but he couldn't accept it. _I don't want to die._

* * *

Soon, bit by bit, the world returned to the man. His sight came to him, and he was confused. _Wait, is this hell? I thought it'd be more on fire._ He looked, and only saw a frozen forest. _Where are all the buildings? I mean, that is where I was...nevermind._ The man tried to stand up, but was hit by sharp pain. Looking at his chest, he could see several wounds. _So that did really happen. At least it isn't bleeding as much anymore._ On his second attempt, the man stood up.

 _Why am I in the middle of a blizzard?_ As the man trekked through the snow, he looked for any sign of life. _How did I end up here?_ The man shook his head. _No, I can't focus on that right now. All that's left for me is survival, and that's what I'll do._ Feeling new inspiration, the man started moving slightly faster. Upon his wounds hurting him again, he slowed down.

* * *

*Bang*

A gun fired off, and the man knew what it meant. _Life_. He hobbled in the direction of the noise, hoping whatever fired the bullet was still kicking. _Come on, come on, move faster. You need to live._ Soon enough, the man could see not one, but three men in the distance. _At last, I just need to..._ He never finished the thought, when he saw what they were firing at. _Wolves? Why are they on their hind legs?_

The soldiers continued firing, not even noticing the man's presence. Nevertheless, he continued forward, with a desire to get to them. _They can help me. I will live._ Eventually, one of the soldiers looked at the man, and said something to his allies. They ran towards the man, calling out to him. "Civilian, are you hurt?" When they got closer and saw the blood, they ran faster. Upon reaching him, one of the soldiers took the man over his shoulder. "It's okay, you're alright now." They began to move, two fighting off the wolves, one holding the man.

 _I'm safe._ Hearing gunfire was never more reassuring to the man, but it meant his life. As long as the men killed the beasts, he was safe. Until he heard a snarl from behind. Turning his head all he could, he noticed a wolf behind him. _I have to warn them_. But as the man opened his mouth, nothing came out. _Speak. Speak! You have to warn them!_ It was when the soldier carrying the man cried out, that it was too late. A strange glow fell over the soldier's body, and he dropped the man. _No._ The wolf stood over the soldier. _No._ His allies only just noticed. _No!_ But it was too late.

The two soldiers quickly killed the wolf, but not fast enough. Their ally had fallen. _It's okay, the other two can still save me. I'm still safe._ However, something changed in the air. It seemed as if more wolves came out of nowhere. _Why? Why are they keeping this up?_ The man crawled towards the corpse. _I should help._ He grabbed the pistol lying at the soldier's side. _I probably can't shoot like this, but it's something._ Gripping the pistol, he took aim. As he squeezed the trigger, his body spasmed, and he coughed up blood. _Damnit, I can't just sit here._ The soldiers began to get overwhelmed. _I can't let them die!_ He attempted to stand, only to fall. _I need to help them._ He attempted to crawl, only to fall. _I will survive!_

Upon that thought, something clicked in his body. For a moment, the pain lifted, and he took that opportunity. Gripping the pistol once more, he took aim, and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew, and time seemed to slow. The bullet reached the wolf, and knocked it away, and it never stood up again. The soldiers, for a moment, looked over. They knew the man pulled the trigger. _I'm going to help you, keep firing._ As if they read his mind, they kept up their assault on the wolves.

As quickly as it left, the pain returned. The man dropped the gun, and lied down. _At least it's not cold anymore._ He waited for the soldiers to finish off the wolves, but it seemed that moment would never come. Soon enough, they were overpowered, and they shared their fate with their ally. The man was alone again. _Why?_

The wolves looked towards the man, one final, easy, target to take care of. They rushed, and the man felt deja vu. _I think it happened like this, too. I was the last one then._ The wolves stalked over the man, waiting for him to make a move. _But I don't want to die. I was given another chance, and I'll make sure this run counts._ Grabbing the pistol, the man fired at the nearest wolves.

The man kept firing, at anything that came close. _I have to live._ The words repeated over and over. He kept firing, but in the end, it was no use. One of the wolves got close and slashed at him. The man bled, and fell against a tree. Propping himself up against the tree, he once more took aim. _What are you doing? At this rate, you'll die._ _I refuse to let that happen!_ The world felt odd once more, and the man's arm moved on its own. Moving to aim at each of the wolves, and pulling the trigger each time.

Seemingly in an instant, all the wolves fell. All except for one. It slowly stalked towards the man, as the world returned to normal. _One last time_. The man aimed and pulled the trigger.

*Click*

 _The gun's empty...oh boy_. The wolf, realizing it had the advantage, went in for the kill. _This is it. The decisive moment. Do I live or die?_ The man wielded the gun as a melee weapon, and stood on his own. He opened his mouth to taunt the wolf, but nothing came out. _This blows. I can't even go out cool._ The wolf charged and the man wobbled towards each other. Both prepared to strike at each other, when another shot fired out. The wolf was blown back, and the man stood, no longer alone. Filled with relief, he fell onto his back, letting the world run from him. _That's all folks, I'm gone._ As his eyes closed, he saw a figure cloaked in white. _An angel? I guess I'm going to heaven after all._

 **Well, that's one chapter down. Not super long though, more of a prologue. Well, whatever I decide to call it, it's here. When I said this story has elements of The Gamer, what I meant was they will still have all the stats, and skill trees, and all that, but they won't know about it. Sort of like how in Final Fantasy, no one ever says "Oh, I need to improve _x_ stat". ****Also, if you want a character in this story, well today's your lucky day. Underneath this bit here will be a form to fill in. Do that, and message it to me, and hey, maybe your character will be in the story.**

 **Character**

Name/Color:

Age:

Gender:

Height:

Weight:

Eye:

Skin:

Hair:

Race:

Personality Traits:

Ideals:

Bonds:

Flaws:

Background:

Death:

Weapon:

Semblance:

Fighting Style(Offense, Defense, Support, etc.):

 **Stat Allocation**

 **Available Points:40**

 **Max Score:10**

Strength (Physical Strength): 1

Endurance (Sturdiness/Health): 1

Agility (Movement Speed/Evasion): 1

Willpower (Mental Fortitude): 1

Aura (Amount of Aura): 1

Intelligence (Problem Solving): 1

Wisdom (Common Sense/Insight): 1

Charisma (Social Skills): 1

Perception (Awareness): 1

Luck (Swing things into your favor): 1

 **As an example, here's the stats of "The Man".**

Strength: 3

Endurance: 7

Agility: 8

Willpower: 7

Aura: 4

Intelligence: 4

Wisdom: 5

Charisma: 6

Perception: 5

Luck: 1

 **And remember, I will only accept characters messaged, not left as a review. See ya next time.**


	2. The Man (1) Edited

The light was blinding when the man woke up. _What a killer headache_. _At least I'm not dead._ When he could see again, the man looked around the room. _Definitely in a hospital, but where?_ Sitting up in the bed, the man inspected his injuries. _Closed up._ "I wouldn't move too much." Out of the corner of his eyes, the man spotted someone. Well dressed, in a white coat, with a gray undercoat, he stared at the man. "You took a lot of damage in that last fight. If we didn't make it, you would have died."

The man stared. He opened his mouth, and gave talking another try. "Who...are...you?"

The well dressed man adjusted his tie. "I am General James Ironwood, of the Atlesian military." The man stared at Ironwood.

"Where...am...I?" As he was about to answer, the door opened.

"Is he awake?" The man heard a feminine voice call out. Looking over, the man saw a nurse walk in.

Ironwood stood up. "Yes, we were just about to discuss his situation." Ironwood stepped towards the door, turning back. "But that can wait. Take your time."

The nurse nodded, and the general closed the door behind him. "Now, let's check up on those wounds."

* * *

"What's your name?" The man found talking came to him easier over time.

The nurse, looking up from her clipboard, looked at the man. "Skye Carnelian." While the nurse went back to her work, the man stared at Skye's blue hair. _Seems fitting, but still..._

"That's an odd name." Skye looked back at the man.

"Why is that? It follows tradition." _Tradition, huh?_

"And pray tell, what tradition is that?"

"Did you hit your head on the way here? Everyone knows about it." The man let out a deep sigh.

"Well, maybe if you stopped playing the pronoun game, I would know too."

"It doesn't really have an official name. A lot of people just call it the 'Color-naming rule'. In the days of the Great War, there was an oppression of art. It was seen as a form of rebellion, and eventually, it became tradition." The man nodded his head.

"I see, so everyone here is named after colors."

Skye shook her head. "Not quite. It doesn't strictly have to be a color, it could just be reminiscent of one. The importance of it lies in freedom of expression. Something not everyone had during the Great War."

The man nodded. "I see. Thanks for the history lesson, it really helped." Going back to her work, Skye continued to talk. "So, how did you not know any of that?"

 _Good question. I feel like I should have heard about something so important. Especially if it was the consequence of some great war. In any case, for now, I should just play along._ "I've never been the most studious person. Didn't pay attention much in class."

"Well, you should be fine for now. I'll let the general in, so you can have your talk." The man nodded to her as she walked out. _General Ironwood._ Ironwood walked in and sat next to the man once more.

"So now that we have a chance, let's talk." _What are you going to ask me?_ "Let's start with your name." _My name? Shouldn't I be in some registry or whatever? In any case, I probably should use a different name. Quick, think of a color!_

"My name is...Vanilla."

 _Why did I say that? That's not masculine at all!_ The general wrote in some sort of document. "Vanilla…?"

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

Vanilla gave Ironwood the rest of his information, making up the stuff he didn't know the answer to. At the end of it all, Ironwood stood up. "Well, for now, you should rest up. After you're on your feet, I'd like to see what you can do." Ironwood left the room, leaving Vanilla to himself. _How did he not immediately see through that? Could it be he just didn't care? In any case, he's right. I'd like some rest and relaxation._

Time passed as Vanilla rested. Minutes turned to hours, turned to days. And all throughout it, one thought persisted in Vanilla's mind. _It's so boring in here! When am I gonna leave?_ When the door began to open, Vanilla's face brightened. _Finally!_ The nurse from the other day walked in. "Give me some good news. Can I leave?"

Skye giggled at Vanilla. "Impatient, aren't we?" Looking over his chart one more time, Skye smiled at him. "Looks like good news. You're clear to leave."

* * *

When Vanilla walked out the front of the hospital, he found Ironwood waiting. "General, I have been restored!"

Ironwood gave a small smile. "That's good. Now, I hope you remember what I mentioned a few days ago."

Vanilla nodded, his face adopting a serious tone. "Yeah, you were gonna test me. Never did ask, but why?"

"I saw what you did to those beowolves." _So that's what they're called._ "More specifically, you never missed a shot, despite your injuries. I'd like you to show that to me again."

 _I never missed? That can't be right._ "Alright, but I can't guarantee I can get the same results." Ironwood motioned for Vanilla to follow as he led him somewhere.

"This is just a test, you don't have to be perfect."

As Ironwood led Vanilla into a firing range, he looked back at him. "Here's where we'll see what you can do." Handing a pistol to Vanilla, Ironwood motioned downrange. "Remember, just try your best." Vanilla nodded, aiming downrange at a target labeled 50m. Looking at the target through the crosshairs, he squeezed down on the trigger. "Hmm." Ironwood stared at the target, and when Vanilla did too, he noticed he missed. "Perhaps a closer target might be more suited for you."

After trying the 40m, 30m, and even the 20m, Vanilla's results were less than satisfactory. "I guess it was just a fluke."

Upon hearing that, Ironwood shook his head. "That many shots hit without one missed shot in between? Not likely." The general stroked at his bare chin. "Perhaps it has something to do with your semblance?" _Oh great, more words I've never heard before._

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it may only be active during times of stress, such as when you're under attack by beowolves." _I don't like where this is going._

* * *

 _I really don't like where this is going._ Ironwood led Vanilla back out into the snow-covered woods he was found in. "Now, I'm sure you're nervous," _Really, am I?_ "But this is likely the only way we can test it. Remember, I'm not going to let you get hurt." _Easy for you to say, you're not the one being attacked by beowolves._

When Vanilla finally found beowolves, he let out a deep sigh. _Here we go again. At least I'm not mortally wounded yet._ Taking aim at one of the beowolves, Vanilla let loose a bullet, grazing its shoulder. _At least I hit it._ The hurt beowolf turned towards Vanilla, and charged, soon backed up by its pack. _Alright, careful aiming._ Taking deep breaths, Vanilla aimed carefully, moving to the beowolf that was already injured. _A headshot should do._ Moving the crosshairs over its head, Vanilla squeezed the trigger.

The first beowolf fell, letting Vanilla relax. _I can aim._ _But I took too long. The rest are closing in on me._ As that thought crossed his mind, the first beowolf lunged, making an attack. Striking across his chest, the beowolf pushed Vanilla back, but he remained on his feet. _I just had that fixed!_ However, a distinct lack of blood drew Vanilla's eyes downward. _I'm...not hurt? He didn't miss, I felt that attack._ A slash across his back brought him to reality. _Questions for later._

 _How did I do it last time?_ He fired, dropping another beowolf. Another strike knocked Vanilla onto the ground. Looking up, he fired another shot, hitting a beowolf between the eyes. _What's the secret to that ability?_ Standing back up, Vanilla looked across his enemies. _Eight._ Aiming for the closest one, another shot was fired. _Seven._ A beowolf charged him, hitting him into the air with an uppercut. As he spun through the air, he fired off three more bullets. _Four._ Landing back on the ground, he found the one who hit him, and fired at it. _Three._ _I feel great._ Taking aim, Vanilla pulled the trigger, only to hear a clicking noise. _Oh._

"Pull back." Vanilla heard a voice cry from the distance. _Don't have to tell me twice._ Vanilla turned to start running, when he felt a beowolf leap on him from behind. Falling to the ground, Vanilla felt the full weight of the beowolf. Feeling another strike across his back, Vanilla noticed a strange white glow across his body. _What's…?_ He felt weaker. _Hurry up Ironwood._ A gunshot rang out, and the beowolf on top of Vanilla fell to the earth. Standing up, Vanilla saw Ironwood shoot the other two beowolves.

Ironwood led Vanilla back to, as Vanilla learned, Atlas. "So, I guess I failed, huh?"

Ironwood shook his head. "No, this was not a test to pass or fail. It was to see your abilities, and it was a success."

"So what's the diagnosis? Why can I only aim well half the time?"

Ironwood came to a stop, and turned to face Vanilla. "I think I understand. It's your semblance, after all."

* * *

"I noticed a pattern in your two encounters. You only seem to aim well when your aura is drained. In your first encounter, you didn't miss a shot. However, when you went into your first encounter, you were bleeding heavily. Your aura was drained completely, so your semblance was at its most powerful. This is backed up by your second encounter. At the beginning, you could barely hit one beowolf. As you started taking damage, your accuracy increased, to the point where you were spinning in the air, and still landed shots. I'm certain that if you had the ammunition, you could've handled that on your own."

"I see. I turn pain into accuracy."

Ironwood nodded. "In layman's terms, yes." _Well, I'd like to avoid getting hurt, but at this point, it might be inevitable. This sucks!_ "I'd like to extend an offer to you." Ironwood's words brought Vanilla back to reality. "You're decent in a fight, after a while, anyways."

Vanilla nodded. "Where is this going?" _Is he…?_

"As you know, I'm the general of the Atlesian military. So, seeing what you can do firsthand, I'm extending this offer to you. Vanilla Ice, join the Atlesian military, and I'll train you personally."

* * *

 **Edited the format so it's a bit easier to read.**

* * *

 **Alright, second chapter down. I noticed that a lot of people were confused by what I meant by bonds. When I say bonds, I mean an attachment. Part of what makes someone human is the desire to keep things close, to never lose them. A bond could be anything. It could be a person, it could be a song, it could be a necklace. In essence, it's something that you've "bonded", that you have no desire to lose.**

 **I also saw people asking about age. Age doesn't matter. A character could be 16 or 28. Another question was concerning the reincarnation. So, basically what happens there is you die at point A, the real world. You wake up at point B, Remnant. The only difference with point B is you're there now. You don't snatch anyone's body, you aren't born, you're just kinda there. I have also posted the form on my bio, with a couple of changes, such as clothing, and a bit more detail about stat points.**

 **That said, I was a bit surprised that a majority of the characters submitted had such low luck scores. I didn't see one above 4, and most of them were 1. A concern of mine when I included that in the form was that people might do some min-maxing. I didn't see that happen too much, but still, luck is pretty important.**

 **Lastly, I have 4/6 characters, only two spots remain.**

 **With all that said, and it was a lot, thanks for reading it, that's the end.**


	3. Maroon I (2) Edited

_I feel great!_ Maroon soared through the sky, feeling the wind flow past him. Falling back to the ground, Maroon's smile grew larger. _This is the best part!_ Maroon landed on the ground, leaving a crater at the impact site. "Did you see that Burg?"

The elder man accompanying him chuckled. "You sure are getting a kick out of this." Maroon dusted himself off, before walking over to Burg.

"Well of course I am, I could never do this stuff before you unlocked my...what was it, aura?"

The elderly man nodded. "Aura, yes. If I may ask, how exactly did you end up in Vacuo?"

* * *

Sitting in Burg's modest home, Maroon began to tell his story. "I'm not sure how I ended up in that desert. The past couple of days have been...weird." Burg set a cup of coffee in front of Maroon. "Thank you. It almost feels like none of this is real. Like I went to sleep and haven't woken up yet."

As Maroon took a sip from his drink, Burg sat down in front of him. "Sometimes, truth can be stranger than fiction. For example, you, Maroon, are strange." After taking a swig of his own drink, Burg continued. "I mean, you show up out of nowhere, no aura to speak of, and you know nothing of the world. You didn't even know about the Grimm."

"I lived a pretty sheltered childhood, you could say. I was kept away from dangers such as the Grimm." Finishing his drink, Maroon stood up. "That said, I should be going."

Burg stood up after him. "But where will you go?" Maroon tilted his head back and forth. _Good question. I don't even have a map. Oh well._

"I dunno, haven't given it much thought. I just plan on going." Maroon stepped towards the exit, before he heard a call.

"Maroon!" _Old man?_ "You need a weapon to defend yourself."

"It's old, but it should work." Burg stepped out of the back room, handing a spear to Maroon. "It should work fine as a temporary weapon, at least until you reach a town with a blacksmith."

Maroon grabbed the spear. "Thanks. This means a lot."

The old man nodded at him. "Just take good care of her, she's a memento."

* * *

Travelling the sands wasn't easy, but after a while, Maroon got used to it. Given a direction to a nearby town, Maroon set off. _Alright. First things first. Using a spear._ Swinging the spear around a couple of times to get used to it, Maroon soon felt himself getting used to it. From the weight to the momentum, he soon had it down pat. _Although, spear plus super jump gives me an idea._ Letting out a laugh, Maroon looked around for any Grimm.

 _Why is there nothing nearby!?_ Maroon trekked across the sands. Looking back, he could no longer see the small village. _Come to think of it, I never learned the name of that town._ Continuing his walk, he was left to his thoughts. _Although, the old man did pose a good question. I know absolutely nothing about this place. Where do I go?_ Hearing a scream in the distance, Maroon started charging. _Sounds like civilization!_ Maroon leapt into the air.

* * *

A young man held onto his younger brother as he sank into the sand. "Hold on, I won't let you go." Looking past his brother, the man stared at the Grimm pulling his brother in. Large white mandibles snapped at it's victims feet. At that moment, the young man heard a faint voice. Looking around, he was about to call for help, before seeing no one there. Returning his focus to holding onto his brother, he could hear the voice again. This time, he could faintly hear what the voice was saying. "That almost sounds like someone's…"

As the voice grew closer, the man's suspicions were confirmed. "Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine..." The voice was coming from above, and everyone, Grimm included, looked to the source.

"He's falling?" Maroon, landing on the antlion Grimm spear-first, let out one last aggressive "Mine". Pulling his spear from the dissolving Grimm, Maroon looked to the boys. "Hello there. Don't suppose I could ask for directions?"

* * *

"So this town of yours, Hewe, does it have a blacksmith?" Maroon broke the silence with a question towards the older brother, but it was the younger one who responded.

"Oh yeah it does, but not just any blacksmith, he's the best in Vacuo, no, the world!"

The older brother pinched the bridge of his nose. "He _was_ the best in Vacuo, but he's grown old. He can barely hold a hammer nowadays."

"That's a shame. I was hoping to get a new weapon forged." The older brother shook his head.

"He has students who can help you, make no mistake. But they're nothing special." _Well, I don't need the best. I just need one made._ "But why do you need a weapon made anyway? That one looks fine."

Maroon looked it over. "It is fine, it's just not mine. I was allowed to borrow it, but I've got to return it."

"I see. Well, your wait won't be long. Welcome to Hewe." Pointing behind his back, the older brother directed Maroon's attention to a town in the distance. _That doesn't seem right._

"Hey kid."

"Levi!"

"Whatever, is that a smokestack?" Looking back to the town, there definitely was a dark stream of smoke rising.

"We're under attack? What do we do?" Levi turned to where Maroon was, only to find him missing. Looking up to the sky, Levi saw the redhead soaring towards Hewe.

* * *

Soaring towards Hewe, Maroon knew he couldn't make it in a single leap. Spotting a nearby Grimm, Maroon redirected himself, making to strike it down. _This'll be a good warm-up._ As he grew closer to the creature, Maroon could see it was two-legged, and quite fast. _Even still, it doesn't stand a chance._ Readying his spear to strike, he was closing in. The Grimm, however, noticed him, and began to dig itself underground. _Too late!_ Colliding with the ground, shoving his spear as far down as he could, Maroon could feel the Grimm skewered. Pulling his spear back up, Maroon leapt away, confident his second jump would get him to Hewe.

Nearing Hewe, Maroon could make out several of the two-legged Grimm he came across earlier, as well as a giant scorpion, and two two-headed snakes. _Where to aim? The snake looks tough, I should start with it._ Coming down, Maroon once again prepared his spear. Coming down on the white head of the snake, it impaled, and it was slammed onto the ground, going limp.

Looking around for other Grimm, Maroon turned into an attack from the black head of the snake. _They're not one creature!? Two Grimm connected at the waist!_ Rolling away, Maroon prepared to fight. _I can't jump back up into the sky. I'll have to fight it on the ground._ The black head of the snake charged at Maroon again, opening its maw to attack. Maroon stepped to the side, and stabbed his spear into the snake. _It's not doing much damage._ Turning back around, the snake once again charged at Maroon.

 _Time for a different approach._ The snake once more charged at Maroon. In response, Maroon jumped up, landing on the snake's head. _Maybe just a little juice this time._ Stabbing his spear into the snake, Maroon boosted his strike with his aura. Pushing his spear in and out of the snake, it fell to the ground, limp. _I don't think I can do that much more._

Looking out, Maroon could see the villagers defending themselves. They had managed to bring down several of the two-legged Grimm, as well as the other snake. _There's still the scorpion to worry about. My aura's running low thanks to that last attack. If I leap up for a surprise attack, I might not survive the fall._

Running towards the sound of combat, Maroon found villagers facing off against the scorpion. Maroon noticed one of the villagers prone, and the scorpion preparing to stab his stinger into him. _I won't let that happen!_ Maroon reared back and, pouring every ounce of aura into his throw, chucked his spear at the stinger. As the spear left Maroon's hand, a strange red sheen coated him. Piercing through the stinger, the scorpion's strike skewed, hitting the ground next to the villager.

"Move, get out of there!" Maroon shouted at the villager, but it proved unnecessary. The villager was already running. Looking back to the scorpion, he saw it rip the spear out of its stinger, and, closing its claw, split it in half. _I probably shouldn't have let that happen._ The scorpion, angry, charged at Maroon. _And now I'm running._ Turning away from the scorpion, Maroon began to run.

 _If what Burg said earlier is true, I'm out of aura, and any hits I take now are gonna leave a mark. I need to pull back._ As Maroon ran from the scorpion, one of the two-legged Grimm from earlier burst from the ground. _I forgot they can do that._ Before he could react, Maroon was batted towards the scorpion, who then swatted him out of the air. Colliding with a building, Maroon could taste the blood in his mouth. _Yep, that's leaving a mark._

The two Grimm began to close in on Maroon. _How do I get out?_ Maroon looked left and right, but both ways were cut off by Grimm. _There's gotta be a way out._ The two-legged Grimm jumped at Maroon, intending to finish him off, when he was shot out of the air. _The other villagers!_

* * *

As the other villagers came in and cleaned up the rest of the Grimm, Maroon started to regain his composure. _I'm alive. Hurting bad, but alive._ Walking to where the scorpion broke Burg's spear, Maroon picked it up. _How do I explain this one?_ "Hey!" Maroon turned to see one of the villagers calling to him. "The injured need to gather in the town square."

Maroon walked over to the man. "Thanks. Say, who do I talk to about getting a weapon made?"

* * *

 **Edited format to make it easier to read.**

* * *

 **Hey, it's the second chapter! You may have noticed that I didn't start from Maroon's waking moments, and the reason for that is very simple. It is so boring to write what is essentially the same chapter twice. So, I'm fast-forwarding a few weeks, and starting from there, where I'm not writing the same chapter six times.**

 **This would have come out a few days ago, except as I was writing the fight scene, I got sick. Add school on top of that, and my motivation dropped to zero.**

 **Since I didn't mention it in this chapter, Maroon's semblance is called "Burst". What that does is it allows Maroon to burn off some of his aura to power his movements, more than usual even for a huntsman. To the outside observer, this might look like explosions are propelling his movements, even if there aren't actually any. That's the reason he's able to jump super high into the air, and superpower his attacks.**

 **Also, you may have noticed that the description has changed to SYOC closed. The five characters have been chosen. Thanks to the following people:**

 **NullRitter**

 **DownSmashJon**

 **JustThoseGuys**

 **Milagro Man**

 **reven28**

 **And also thanks to everyone else who submitted a character. I saw a lot of great ideas, and honestly, it was a bit hard to narrow it down to five.**

 **Review responses:**

 **ChillyIce - Skye was actually the name of the nurse. His real name didn't follow the color rule, and that's why he changed it.**

 **ScorchedNova - You were not the only one. I was actually watching the Jontron episode on the Vanilla Ice movie when I chose that as his name.**

 **Illusionary Phantom - If you reread the last sentence of the last chapter, you'll see the inspiration for his name.**

 **Thanks for reading. Next time, we'll focus on a character named Duke.**


	4. Duke I (3)

_So hungry._ Duke had been walking for a day, without a sign of life. Shuffling uncomfortably through the woods, Duke was careful to not to tear his wounds open. _I've been walking in one direction, how far is the next town?_ Moving slowly down the dirt path, Duke soon found a welcome sight. _Buildings. Yes!_ The wooden buildings were small, but big enough to call a home.

Approaching the small village, Duke found a less welcoming sight. _Corpses. No!_ Looking through the village, Duke couldn't see a single sign of life. "Kid…" A soft voice called out from behind Duke. Turning around to the source, Duke saw a dying woman, lying against the building. "Over here, quick."

Duke ran up to the woman, his blue eyes staring into the her green eyes. Duke could see cuts in her lightly armored body. "You're hurt." Duke sat down to check the woman's injuries, before she waved him off.

"I'm dying, there's no stopping that." The woman reached over to a spear lying by her. "Some Grimm should still be nearby. I'm surprised you haven't already run into some of them." Duke took a closer look at the spear. It was pointed at both ends, with triggers at either end. "Flip the switch...to shoot the head out, flip it again to retract, got it?"

Duke nodded. "I got it, but I'm not super experienced with spears." As soon as Duke said this, the woman closed her eyes, and sighed. Opening her eyes, the woman shoved her spear into Duke's hands.

"Your aura hasn't been unlocked, has it?" Not sure what that meant, Duke shook his head. "Thought not." The woman ran her hand through her golden hair, before setting her hand on Duke's own golden lockes. "It is our faith in all that is light that grants us immortality. With this, we become the beacon of hope and peace that the world needs. Reaching forevermore and untainted by death, I release your soul, and with my light, protect thee."

Duke's body shimmered a dark blue. Power flowed through his body, as his wounds from before felt better by the second, until it was as if they weren't there to begin with. "What did you…?" Duke's question was interrupted by the woman coughing up blood. "Hey!"

The woman held a hand up. "It's fine, unlocking your aura just took a lot out of me." The woman shifted into a more comfortable position. "I'm gonna be gone soon. Knock 'em dead, kid." The woman closed her eyes, ready to go.

"Tell me your name."

"Corona. Yours?"

"Duke."

"Nice name. Had a friend named Duke once."

"What happened to him?"

Duke waited for an answer. He waited and waited. He looked at Corona. She didn't move. She didn't breathe. "Goodbye Corona." Duke rose to his feet, his breath shaky. After a moment, Duke began whirling the spear around. "Corona, huh?"

* * *

Swinging the spear around, Duke tried to get some practice in. Flipping the switch, as Corona said, the head of the spear shot out, striking the side of the building, and making a loud sound on collision. Duke flipped the switch again, bracing himself for when the head retracted back. The impact wasn't too bad, but it could knock him off balance if he wasn't careful.

The sound of nearby howling brought Duke to reality. _I suppose I'm about to meet the Grimm._ Preparing himself for a fight, Duke stood ready to shoot the spearhead out. _I'm right here. You who destroyed this town, come and find me!_ Duke heard the scratching of claws, and stood still, prepared to fire. Duke, however, was not ready for what came around the side of the building.

 _What is that!?_ A wolf-like beast on its hind legs, covered in dark fur, with a bone-like shell, approached Duke. _No time to hesitate!_ Flipping the switch, the spearhead shot out towards the wolf, piercing through its leg, knocking it onto the ground. _Gotcha!_ The wolf let out a howl, followed by several howls in the distance. _Calling for help, huh?_

Duke flipped the switch, retracting the spearhead, dragging the wolf along with it. As the wolf reached him, Duke put a foot on hit, pulled the spear out, and stuck the other end through it. It fell limp, and began to dissolve. _It's disappearing? I'll have to look into that one later._ Another wolf came around the corner, and Duke repeated his strategy. _Not the brightest bunch, are they?_

Soon, the rest of the pack joined the fray. Five wolves came running. _You're the ones who caused this destruction._ He shot a spearhead out, grazing the side of the wolf. _Who destroyed these lives._ Duke retracted the spearhead, hitting the same wolf on the way back.

 _For the people you killed._ Duke stabbed at a wolf as soon as it got in range, injuring it, but taking a hit from another wolf in the exchange. As it got behind him, Duke flipped the switch, shooting the spearhead behind him. He pulled the spear out of the wolf in front of him, and retracted the spearhead he shot out. Using the momentum gained from the weapon, Duke slammed one wolf into the other, sending them flying.

 _For the homes you destroyed._ Duke shot a spearhead at another wolf, piercing it through its torso. He flipped the switch to retract, and leapt towards it. The weapon pulled Duke towards the wolf, and Duke kicked it off the spearhead. Hearing a wolf leap at him, Duke turned and let it fall on the spear. Duke threw it off, and turned to the three remaining wolves. One was heavily injured, and the other two were only suffering from light wounds.

 _Corona._ Although Duke didn't notice it at first, he began to glow. _I got hit earlier, but I wasn't cut._ Finally noticing the light he gave off, a quick look at the wolves showed that they couldn't look at him. _I'm giving off a blinding light. Corona, is this your light protecting me?_ Taking advantage of their blinded state, Duke moved and cut down the three of them. The light faded and Duke fell to his knees, exhausted.

 _For the sake of revenge, I killed these monsters on behalf of the village._ Standing up, grabbing the spear, and turning around, Duke began to move. _I should think of a name for the spear. Something to honor its original owner._ As he walked, Duke noticed one of the wolves, crawling away. _So, you can play dead._

"I don't know if you can understand me." The wolf looked over its shoulder, only to see Duke step on its back, lightly, to keep it from moving. "A part of me doesn't care, considering what you just did." The wolf struggled to get free, and Duke let it go. It crawled at a slow pace, and Duke slowly walked behind. "But I just need to talk. This anger inside of me won't go away. The first person I see after…" Duke turned his head, suppressing the memory. "And you killed her."

"I will destroy you all. Consider this a declaration of war, Grimm." Duke took his spear, and quickly killed the wolf.

* * *

Looking through the houses, Duke soon found a shovel. He dug a hole in the ground, and set Corona in it. "Thanks for watching out for me. I promise to do the same for someone else, someday." He slowly began to bury her, his anger replaced with sorrow. Duke sat by the makeshift grave for a while. "Sunspot." Duke grabbed his spear, and moved on.

Continuing through the woods on the other side of the town, Duke ran into a few more of the Grimm he encountered before. Learning from his experiences, Duke easily took care of them. "This trip's gonna take a while." Duke let out a sigh, and put on a smile. "I should find something to eat."

* * *

With the odd berry bush here, and apple tree there, Duke gathered enough food to fill himself up. "That's better. Welp, let's get movin'." Continuing through the forest, Duke soon found himself coming across a clearing. Wooden fences lined a path cutting across the clearing, with tall grass on the outside. That, however, wasn't what caught Duke's attention. "Oh hey, there are some people."

"And they're fighting. And one of them's shooting lightning from their fingertips." Duke looked at his hand, letting a little shine out, and felt very ineffective. "Even still, why are they fighting?" Duke slowly approached, trying to keep his presence hidden from the four who were fighting. As Duke grew closer, he could see that it was actually a 3-on-1 fight, and it was close.

Two women and a man were fighting another woman. One woman was dressed in brown, and had mint green hair. Another donned a red dress. The man wore a gray jacket, and torn brown pants, revealing robotic legs underneath. The last woman, who the previous three were fighting, was dressed in white and brown. She was also floating several feet above the ground, and was shooting lightning, fire, and creating windstorms.

The fight didn't continue for much longer. The group of three were knocked away, and the lone woman moved to finish the mint-haired girl off. _I should probably stop this before someone gets killed._ Duke began to walk towards the four, before the lone woman stopped, and fell over, an arrow sticking out of her back. The man and the mint-haired woman propped her up, as the woman in the red dress approached her, putting a glove on. _They're not outright killing her? I've got a bad feeling about this. I should really stop this._ Duke picked up the pace, running, and flicked the switch on Sunspot.

 **Cliffhanger! Get used to it, it's probably gonna happen a lot. The third chapter, and we've met half of the cast. Hopefully you like them all so far. I'm trying to write them the best I can, so I'm hoping they live up to expectations.**

 **Review responses:**

 **NullRitter - I'm trying to go for a different feel with each character. When reading chapters about Vanilla, it might feel like a mystery. When reading chapters about Maroon, it might feel like an adventure story.**

 **DownSmashJon - Thanks for the advice. I'm not really the greatest at writing, but I'm trying. I tried applying what you said to this chapter, let me know how it is. And if you have any other constructive criticism about the story, please share it. It really does help.**

 **JustThoseGuys - Glad you liked it. Let me know how you liked Duke.**

 **Thanks for reading. Next up, we have Lapis.**


	5. Lapis I (4)

Lapis felt a gentle swaying as he woke up. Staring at the clear sky, Lapis could feel himself drifting in water. _Where am I?_ For a few seconds, Lapis couldn't think. _Wait, wasn't I…?_ Eyes widening, Lapis was struck by realization. He struggled, sending himself underwater. _Where is it? Where is it!?_ Looking around, Lapis didn't see anything. Just the water that surrounded him. Swimming back to the surface, Lapis breached and took a deep breath. Feeling across his torso, Lapis found that everything was there. _Was that a dream?_

Looking around, Lapis saw an island, and made his way for it. _Thank god I'm me, or this swim might suck._ Coming to the shore, Lapis dropped onto his back, and took in the sun. With a moment to relax, Lapis let out a groan. Sitting back up, Lapis pulled his shirt off. Poking at his torso, he was whole. _I guess it was a dream. But it felt so real._ Brushing his light blue hair, Lapis tried to get as much water out as he could. _I'm still soaked, and not a person in sight._

Walking away from the water, Lapis soon found himself climbing a small mountain made of sand. As he reached the top, he looked over the horizon. _Alright, my options are desert, trees, or more desert. I could use some shade, so trees, I guess. But it's weird I'm so far from home. I can't recognize anything here._ Scratching the back of his head, Lapis shrugged. _Welp, may as well look for something._ And with that thought, Lapis started walking.

* * *

A growl broke the silence as Lapis walked through the forest of palm trees. _That sound...I'm hungry._ Looking up in the trees, Lapis couldn't spot anything growing. _And suddenly I wish I took the desert path. Might've found something there._ Soon enough, however, Lapis spotted buildings. They were mostly small and wooden, but they were large in number. They reminded him of his home, in a way. _Oh thank god! Finally!_

Picking up the pace, Lapis left the forest, and found himself in the middle of a market. _Bonus! Alright, what do I wanna eat?_ Deciding on a yellow fruit, Lapis grabbed one, and took a bite out of it. _That hits the spot._ Lapis moved on, looking for a familiar landmark, ignoring the bewildered merchant.

"Hey!" _I wonder what kind of fruit this is. It's a good thing the skin is edible, because I did not peel it._ "Help, thief!" _A thief? Where?_ Lapis took another bite, wondering where the thief was. _Oh, right...me._ Shrugging, Lapis kept walking.

"Hey, tall and blue, wait up!"

Stopping and turning around, Lapis came chest-to-face with the merchant who was selling the fruit. Looking down, Lapis took another bite. With his mouth full, he responded. "Yes?"

"You have to pay for that starfruit." The merchant was red in the face, glaring at Lapis.

 _So that's what they're called._ Patting his pockets, Lapis didn't feel his wallet. _Well duh, I never take it swimming._ "I don't have any money."

"Well, you can't just take it and not pay for it. That's not how this works."

Looking at the little bit of fruit left, Lapis popped it into his mouth. "Well, that's odd, because that's exactly what I did."

The merchant clenched his fist, and stared Lapis in the eyes. "You sonuva…" The merchant threw his fist at Lapis's face. Lapis took a step back, looking up. Lapis took a deep breath.

"Does this settle our debt?"

The merchant's face scrunched up in anger. "Of course it doesn't, you need to pay!"

"So it doesn't settle our debt. Good." The merchant looked confused as Lapis lowered his gaze from the sky, his expression bleeding anger. "Then I won't feel bad about this next part." Lapis balled his fist, and punched the merchant in the chest. The merchant fell onto his back, gasping for breath. Lapis turned around, walking away. Looking back, Lapis could see a woman talking to the man, and after a few seconds, she looked at him. Even from a distance, Lapis could feel her killer glare.

* * *

Walking around, Lapis asked several people where he was, but most responses were either scoffs or simply no reaction. _Did all these people see what happened?_ Eventually finding himself alone, Lapis sat in an alley between houses. _Where do I go from here? Where is here?_ "Hey." Lapis turned to the source of the voice, and recognized the girl who helped the merchant. Now that he got a closer look, he could clearly tell what she looked like.

She had tan skin that resembled his own. She wore a dark stealth suit, and kept her brown hair in a ponytail. Standing up and staring down into her gray eyes, Lapis sighed. _I can already tell where this is going._ "Yes, miss?" Lapis tried his best to not sound condescending, and he failed.

"You stole from that man, and walked away." When he noticed she wasn't continuing, he nodded. "And you're okay with that?" _How did I know?_

Lapis let out a deep sigh. "Listen, I've had a long day, and the last thing I need is another lecture. So, if I could go on my way…?" Lapis turned away, only to feel her tap on his shoulder. "What now?" Turning back towards her, Lapis saw her swinging a weapon at him. "Woah!" Knocked back, Lapis landed on his back. "Of course it ended up like this."

"You think because you're human you have the right to treat him like that?" _She had to go and make this a race thing...Wait, did she say human?_

"Wait, did you say human?" The girl, looking confused, nodded. _What does being human have to do with anything? I've seen nothing but humans since I've gotten on this island._ "But that isn't right, he definitely looked human." The girl just stared at the mumbling man, until he shook his head. "Look, whatever, I only hit him because he attacked first."

The brunette shook her head. "I meant stealing from him. Well, the punching too. But mostly the theft." The girl pointed her weapon at him. "You're going to apologize and pay him back double for what you stole."

Lapis stood up, laughing all the way. "And who's gonna make me, you?" The girl grit her teeth, and swung at Lapis again. "I won't let you." Lapis grabbed her weapon before it could strike him, a smirk on his face. It quickly disappeared, however, when he also saw a smirk on her face. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, just this." The press of a button, and the weapon in Lapis's hand was shocking him. Letting go of the weapon, Lapis starting taking deep breaths, trying to stay calm. "What's wrong? Where's that confidence from before?" _Yeah, no._ Lapis's blood boiled as he glared at her. He ground his teeth, as an unnatural anger took over. Feeling his body tense up, and his muscles surge, Lapis felt his mind slip away.

* * *

Before Lapis knew it, he was laying on the ground. Lapis sat up and looked at the girl sitting nearby. "What just happened?"

Hearing him wake up, the girl looked over to him. "What do you mean?" Lapis stood up, and sat next to her, much to her displeasure.

"I mean, you shocked me, and then I was suddenly on the ground. I don't remember how I ended up down here." The girl gave him a look of confusion.

"You really don't remember?" Lapis shook his head. "After I shocked you, you buffed up, roared, and attacked me. You actually put up a really good fight." _I don't remember fighting her._ "Maybe I hit you so hard that you forgot?"

"But I don't remember getting hit on the head." Lapis sat there, wondering what might make him forget.

* * *

"Hey." Lapis looked over, the girl interrupting his thoughts. He motioned for her to continue. "Why didn't you say you were a faunus?"

It was Lapis's turn to look confused. "Pardon?"

"Earlier, I called you human. But then I noticed your gills, and those sharp teeth. Why didn't you correct me?" _What is she talking about?_ Lapis looked down, noticing his shirt was torn. Feeling along the side of his neck, he felt gills. Running his tongue along his teeth, they were sharp. _Wait! That means…_

"I'm a shark?" _Talk about irony._

The girl was caught off guard. "You didn't know?"

"News to me."

"...Right. Anyways, what's your name?"

"Ah, I'm Lapis Ula-wait, why am I telling you my name?"

The girl chuckled. "Too late, Lapis Ula. I'm Ilia."

With a sigh, Lapis held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Ilia."

Meeting his hand with her own, she chuckled. "Well, well, he has manners."

Ilia stood up. "Hey, I have manners." Ilia just gave Lapis a look. "I mean, mostly." The look grew more intense. "Half-and-half?" When the look didn't go away, Lapis sighed, and stood up. "Fine, it rarely happens."

"That's better. Now come on." Ilia started to walk, motioning for Lapis to follow.

"Where are we going?" Lapis followed her, making sure to keep up.

"We're going to go apologize to that merchant."

"...I'm not paying him back."

"You can't pay him back, there's a difference."

 **Hey, it's another chapter. School was kind to me this week, so I had more time to write. We've met our resident faunus, Lapis. I've noticed some people not completely understand some of the characters' semblances, so if I haven't already explained a character's semblance, I'll put it at the end of their next chapter.**

 **Lapis's semblance is called Primal Rage. With it, his strength is increased, but some cognitive function is suppressed, so he's going on pure instinct. As a consequence, he doesn't remember anything after he rages.**

 **Review responses:**

 **NullRitter - Nope, not missing anything.**

 **DownSmashJon - Once again, thanks for the advice. It really helps.**

 **squeegywing - Sun power is not inaccurate. Duke's semblance allows him to emit a blinding light from his body.**

 **JustThoseGuys - Hey, glad you liked it.**

 **Well, that just about wraps everything up. Next chapter we've got a character named Ignis, and I think you'll like what I've got planned for him.**


	6. Ignis I (5)

_They're coming._ Ignis ran through the forest, keeping an eye on his pursuers. _I should be getting close. Where is it?_ Looking for the mark he left behind, Ignis ran, making sure to leave some distance between him and the Grimm. _There it is!_ Recognizing the mark he left in the tree, Ignis went to a specific spot in the forest, and waited. _They'll get here soon enough._

* * *

Keeping an eye on all directions, Ignis held his hand at the ready. _Now, the only variable is the direction you come from. Not that it'll matter that much._ Hearing a growl from behind him, Ignis prepared himself. _Come on._ Several growls began to fill the forest, coming in from seemingly every direction. _Bring it in fellas, I got plenty for ya._

Seeing that Ignis wasn't making the first move, one of the Grimm charged. Approaching Ignis from behind, the Grimm ran towards Ignis, practically clawing at the ground to get to him. When the Grimm got 3 meters away from Ignis, he raised his left hand, and snapped his fingers. Beneath the Grimm's claws, a symbol appeared on the ground. Starting off dark and cold, it changed, turning red and burning hot. All in the span of a second, the marked area of the ground detonated, sending the Grimm flying in pieces.

 _Beowolves, I believe you were called. That book was right. You aren't all that._ Seeing what unfolded, the rest of the Beowolves attacked. One by one they charged at Ignis, and one by one they fell to him. Each successive snap came with a whimper from the Beowolf it fell. Once the dust settled, Ignis looked around. _How disappointing. I didn't even use them all._

* * *

Ignis, surrounded by silence, looked up to the sky. _It's a cloudy day. I hope it doesn't rain. I have some reading to do._ Ignis brushed the dust off his black jacket. Finding a nearby tree, Ignis sat, trying to get the perfect amount of comfort. Ignis looked back to where he set the traps. _Should probably stick close to these for a while until I decide to move on. Now, which book was I on?_ Once more checking the surrounding forest, Ignis could see no Grimm. _Good. Now, I think I was reading about the Great War._

As Ignis read, he uneasily kept an eye on his environment. _Hmm. I guess our worlds aren't so different after all. Why, swap a few words out for others, I might mistake this for a history book on Earth._ Ignis's thoughts were interrupted by a crack of lightning. _Shoot, I didn't realize it was storming._ Rushing to put the book away, Ignis stood and realized there was no rain. _What? That's odd._ Looking in the sky, Ignis waited for another strike. Hearing the strike, Ignis saw no flash in the sky.

 _I take it back. Now it's odd. Lightning always flashes, so why is it not happening here?_ Ignis waited for one more strike, this time waiting for the direction the sound was coming from. _If my suspicion is correct, this isn't a result of weather, but rather, it's dust._ Another crack came, and Ignis turned. _This way. I should be able to find someone if I go this way._

* * *

 _How far away was that sound? I've been walking for a few minutes, but I still can't see the source._ It didn't help that Ignis was walking pretty slowly. Ignis eyed his surroundings, preparing for any sudden attacks. _The Grimm can come from anywhere, but I haven't seen them for a while. This day is just getting weirder and weirder. Maybe...is there a reason they're steering clear of this area? In any case, I think, just for a bit, I can throw caution to the wind._ Picking up the pace and no longer looking to his surroundings, Ignis hurried to the source of the sound he heard.

 _But I'm not careless._ Pulling a card out of his bag, Ignis took a peek at it. _Three of spades. Sorry, but you're the next one._ Pouring his aura into the card, Ignis held it, ready to throw it at any approaching Grimm. _Now, to find whoever's using the dust. Although._ Ignis looked at his card, and the source of the sound. _If nothing else, this does give me a pretty good idea._

* * *

Soon coming across a clearing, Ignis could see the dust being used. Lightning struck the ground as one woman fought against two other women and a man. Two women and a man were fighting another woman. One woman was dressed in brown, and had mint green hair. Another donned a red dress. The man wore a gray jacket, and torn brown pants, revealing robotic legs underneath. The last woman, who the previous three were fighting, was dressed in white and brown.

Looking among the three, Ignis immediately spotted the leader. _A woman in red, huh? She does have a certain aura about her._ Looking to the other two, Ignis was less impressed. _Well, they are the henchmen for a reason. Even so, I shouldn't meddle. This situation is a bit too...dicey for me._

Ignis turned away, and started to walk. _It's none of my business anyway. What's the worst that can happen? The end of the world?_ Ignis let out a bit of a chuckle, until he heard one last, resounding crack of lightning, followed by an intense wind. Turning back around, the lone woman was floating. _I don't remember dust being able to do that. Either I need to read that book again, or…_ Ignis shook his head. _No, no, ignore it. You can't win against three people without the proper preparations anyway. Even if they've already fought. Aura is a thing, after all._

Ignis turned away once more, only to find himself looking back at the fight. The lone woman was losing, badly. Ignis shook his head. He watched the lone woman fall to the ground as she was shot in the back with an arrow. _It's over anyways. She's probably gonna bleed out. They're certainly not gonna stop her death. Although, with only a little bit of aura, I could probably cauterize her wounds._ Ignis stopped in his tracks, and let out a deep sigh. "Damn it." _It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if I did nothing. Why do I have to be so human?_

Ignis walked closer, still staying on the edge of the forest, not making himself known. _An opening. I just need to find an opening to get close without being seen._ Ignis waited. Soon, the two henchmen were holding the lone woman in place, while the woman in red approached. _Well, I suppose it's now or never._ As Ignis prepared himself to fight, he heard the sound of a chain unravelling, and he saw a man being launched at the group. From the distance he was at, the only thing he could see about him was his blonde hair and blue clothes. The new challenger kicked the woman in red away, and swiped at the henchmen. _Roll with it, better his neck than mine._ Ignis gripped his card.

The four were at a standstill, but Ignis knew what was happening. _They're waiting for him to reveal a weakness. Granted, he probably never stood a chance to begin with. The way he frantically threw himself in there, it was likely a spur of the moment thing. I'd bet even he doesn't know his next move._ After a few moments of nothing, Ignis noticed one of the three talk. _They're having a conversation? Are they that confident in their victory?_ Ignis noticed the two henchmen move over next to the woman in red. _Well, thanks for setting up the pins._

Ignis waited, slowly putting aura into the card. _I'll likely only have a single surprise attack, I should make it count. Now, I've just gotta time it right._ Ignis kept his eyes on the three. He figured the lone man wouldn't be in any hurry to start fighting again. _As soon as I see them make a move...no, before they make a move. I strike, then I run. That should be enough for him._

As if on cue, the green-haired woman reached for her weapons. _Now!_ Ignis flung his card, letting it fly towards the group of three. Waiting for the card to reach them, Ignis held his hand ready. _Any second now._ As the card got close, the silver haired man looked at the card, and plucked it out of thin air. _No, if he tears up the card...I have to detonate!_ The silver haired man turned to his allies, showing the card to them. One of them shouted, but Ignis wasn't paying attention to it. He was too focused on pressing the switch. _This is it!_

A large explosion covered the three, and the lone man took advantage of it. Ignis watched as he took the lone woman, and practically flew across the clearing with the use of his weapon. _So, that's a mecha-shifting weapon. Interesting to see one in person. But for now, I'll withdraw. Don't want them to find me, now do I?_ Ignis walked through the forest, not sticking to a specific path.

* * *

 **Ay, new chapter! This one took a bit longer than the others because of exams. Hooray! Now, hopefully this chapter lives up to the expectations I set last week. In any case, it's late and I'm tired. Until next time.**

 **Review responses:**

 **DownSmashJon - Thanks for all the advice, glad you're liking it.**

 **JustThoseGuys - Yep, first and only faunus of the main six. And where we are in canon, Blake is in Vale, so no meeting her yet.**

 **Reven228 - Thanks, glad you liked it.**

 **Alright, next chapter we meet the last character, Isaac.**


	7. Announcement

Hello

I'm sure you're disappointed that this isn't actually a chapter, but rather bad news. For the time being, I'm unable to continue writing because other priorities are needing more attention. So I'm sorry to say don't expect anything from me for a while. Now, eventually when life calms down, I'll get back to writing, but I don't know for sure when that is. For now, all I can say is sorry.

Until next time, whenever that is.


End file.
